Open Forum

Hi everyone--I am looking for sources to enumerate potential conflicts of interest regarding non-profit museum employees working simultaneously for a commercial gallery.  Lines are blurred these days, I know, but I'd like to see if there are any "official" recommendations.  

Many thanks.

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Katie Edwards PhD
Curator
Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum
Austin TX
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Katie, 

I think it depends on the position of the non-profit employee. If they have any influence in acquisitions, it needs to be not allowed. But there are some fantastic docents who love art and love sharing their passion with museum visitors, but make their living in the commercial world. Its not really fair to expect them to leave their bread-and-butter. 

I used to work in a semi-private art gallery before I entered the nonprofit world, and I remember that "back then" we would love nothing more than to make a museum contact because while with an average client, you must reconcile the realities of financial ability, with a museum we understood that there was a great deal more "wiggle room" in negotiating, making them the "ideal" client. Also, in the commercial world there are a great many reasons for collecting and selling art--a lot of them are less than admirable--so mixing those two worlds can lead to a lot of eyebrow raising. In a world where transparency is quickly moving from something that is admirable to something that is expected, it is simply a can of worms best left unopened. 

That being said, again, it depends on the position and influence of the non-profit employee involved. 

Just my two cents. I don't work for an art museum so my viewpoint is strictly based on prior experience in the for-profit world :) 


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Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Curator of Collections
Kenner LA
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2014 11:07 AM
From: Katie Edwards
Subject: Conflicts of Interest: Museums vs Commercial Galleries

Hi everyone--I am looking for sources to enumerate potential conflicts of interest regarding non-profit museum employees working simultaneously for a commercial gallery.  Lines are blurred these days, I know, but I'd like to see if there are any "official" recommendations.  

Many thanks.

-------------------------------------------
Katie Edwards PhD
Curator
Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum
Austin TX
-------------------------------------------

Hello Katie,

 

Interesting idea. Honestly, I don't see a conflict of interest in working for both a not-for-profit and a private gallery simultaneously. If the museum was interested in purchasing a piece from that private gallery then that individual would need to excuse themselves from the dealings. The same would be true if the museum was selling/auctioning items with that private gallery. But, in general an individual should be perfectly free to work in both realms. I guess it all comes down to how closely related the two organizations are in their business dealings. 

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Matthew MacVittie M.A.
Collections & Exhibits Manager
Seward House Museum
Auburn NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2014 11:07 AM
From: Katie Edwards
Subject: Conflicts of Interest: Museums vs Commercial Galleries

Hi everyone--I am looking for sources to enumerate potential conflicts of interest regarding non-profit museum employees working simultaneously for a commercial gallery.  Lines are blurred these days, I know, but I'd like to see if there are any "official" recommendations.  

Many thanks.

-------------------------------------------
Katie Edwards PhD
Curator
Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum
Austin TX
-------------------------------------------